Same Sex "Marriage"

A Message from San Antonio Archbishop Gustavo Garcia-Siller June 26, 2015

I am profoundly troubled by the decision handed down by the United States Supreme Court concerning Same‐Sex “marriage.” I unite with my brother bishops across the nation, calling this decision a “tragic error.” The Catholic Church will continue to proclaim the truth about marriage in our pulpits and in the public square. In Catholic teaching about the sanctity of marriage, it is clear that the union of one man and one woman in Holy Matrimony is more than a human convention or a legal contract, it is a sacred bond that reflects a great reality both in Natural Law and in our deepest held beliefs.

In our wedding liturgy we pray: "Father, to reveal the plan of your love, you made the union of husband and wife an image of the covenant between you and your people. In the fulfillment of this sacrament, the marriage of Christian man and woman is a sign of the marriage between Christ and the Church."

It is our belief that God is the author of marriage as a holy covenant between a man and a woman as a blessing to both. The Catholic Catechism teaches; "By creating man and woman he called them to an intimate communion of life and of love in marriage: 'So they are no longer two but one flesh....By its very nature it is ordered to the communion and good of the couple and to the generation and education of children."

Catholic teaching explains that marriage is a loving union between a man and a woman and is not intended to be exclusively a prohibition, but is even more, a proclamation of God's love of humanity, and the beauty of love itself. In this way the Church carries out the Father’s plan, enriching the lives of married couples and serving the common good.

With love and respect to every human person, the Church will continue to invite men and women, regardless of their sexual orientation, to walk their journey of faith with us, discovering God's plan for them and for all society. However, it is not within our power to recognize this redefinition of marriage nor participate in this misrepresentation of what we believe to be a sacred union created and reserved to one man and one woman.